By Venerable Michel Thao Chan — Scientist, Buddhist Monk, Sufi

How can human beings recognize the existence of the Absolute Being? The Unity and Uniqueness of God comprise our eternal journey, punctuated by stops in different religions and spiritual traditions where we set down our suitcases laden with unanswered questions…

This was the genesis of this meditation: ‘The understanding of God is not the realisation of God;  in other words, Can we realise the Absolute Being of God while using our five emotional and physical senses through our understanding of who God is what are God’s attributes?

I-The Truth of Dissatisfaction & Suffering that ‘the Understanding is not the Realisation’

The realisation of God is a virgin continent waiting to be discovered from within. What is it about the understanding of God that intrigues us and captures our imagination ? Is it a question of knowing, or perceiving, feeling, consenting, experiencing?

Retrieve the suitcases of the understanding left behind in life’s instructions ; open them and let the film of memories unfold on the big screen : freeze frames and zooms will allow us to express the word suspended in the past to be conjugated in the present tense, in the indicative mode of ‘Savoir versus Knowledge’. 

II- The Cause of Dissatisfaction &Suffering that ‘the understanding is not the realisation’

A deeper understanding is in the notions and concepts behind the three terms: God, Faith, Affect ; and emotions are vital for the clarity of our mind and spirit.

God: Know yourself and you will know the universe and the world of the Gods.

Faith : Science discusses, proves and doubts; Faith affirms, undertakes and acts; the friendship of the Heart is Faith ; it is another one who becomes Me. A doubt in matters of Faith leads to doubting all truths. Faith is the force by which a broken world must emerge in all lights ; Faith is 24 hours of doubt, minus one minute of hope; Faith lifts the mountains, but lets them fall happily on the heads of those who have doubts.

Emotional literacy: Ignored Affect has led to emotional control, and only the re-injection of the present into the past can rehabilitate the need to metabolise and digest this updated Affect.

Understanding psycho-philosophical terms, expressions and aphorisms of these terms, the conceptions of happiness engraved in ‘more and more and more’ has reached its limits in today’s excessive consumerist world. And understanding : the Affect in the literacy of emotions allows us to grow in joy and sustainability, with the ‘living with less and having even less greed’ in the wiser world.

III- The End of Dissatisfaction and Suffering : that ‘the understanding is not the realisation’

The Humanity’s fight against ‘the Suffering’ is memory’s fight against ‘Emotions’ as the ‘ultimate judge’. And yet, the Affect is the source and cause of the Humanity’s evolution.

When appearances and names are put away, and all discrimination ceases, that which remains is the true and essential nature of things ; and, as nothing can be predicated as the nature of essence, this is called the ‘Suchness’ of Reality. This universal, undifferentiated, inscrutable Suchness is the only reality, but it is variously characterized as Truth, Mind-essence, Transcendental Intelligence, Perfection of Wisdom, etc.

This teaching of the imagelessness of the Essence –nature of the Ultimate Reality is the teaching which has been proclaimed by all the Saints and Boddhisatvas ; and when all things are understood in full agreement with it, one is in possession of perfect knowledge.

IV- The path leading to God Realisation: the 3 visions of God  and the four achievements

One humanity many faiths, God loves all beings ; all beings love God. The World is only vibrations, and the soul of the vibrations is the Affect of the ‘Emotions.’

1-the first of these is evidence of God’s handiwork in creation. Numerous scientists testify that the more we studied nature, the more we were the ‘Designer.’ The universe is permitted by intelligence and no person can be brought into close contact with the mysteries of nature or make study Physics without being convinced that behind all, there is a supreme Intelligence.

2-The second path is the doorway of contemplation ; the inner-most self senses God’s reality. The apprehension of God is mystical, not intellectual. Blaise Pascal said : It is the Heart which perceived God and not the Reason.

3-The third type of evidence is supernatural. Few of us have access to this source, but we regard those who have such experiences as trustworthy guides. They are founders of religion and people who have journeyed into the spiritual realms.

I have come to the conclusion and obey the teaching from the ancients on the innate goodness of mankind. The goal to achieving a harmonious world and a harmonious society will be definitely be fulfilled.

• To accomplish equal status and harmonious co-existence for all countries
• To accomplish equal status and harmonious coexistence for different ethnic groups
• To accomplish open-mindedness and unity among influential political parties and groups toward sustaining peace and happiness for Humanity.
• To seek similarities among differences in all religions, respect each other, and live peacefully with each other.

It is not easy to accomplish all these four tasks, but we can start by accomplishing religious Unity, we almost surely help to trigger a similar effect in the other three areas. That is a part of the human, in depth on the subject we discussed during this pilgrimage : ‘The Mercy of God binds us in Unity to Worship and Exalt God.’

Michel Thao Chan

Scientist, Buddhist Monk, Sufi